Critical analysis is a term that describes the ways in which we interpret and evaluate information. Through critical analysis, we can identify key issues and pose additional questions for further research. Today's college student is responsible for digesting a great deal of information in the various forms, including text and data. Why the need for a course on critical analysis? The answer is simple: understanding text and data isn't always easy. College students often have to make sense of conflicting pieces of information, challenge expert opinions, and develop alternative solutions to problems. Instructions in critical analysis can help students approach information more systematically, resulting in more creative thinking, efficient learning, and high quality research papers.

As part of the Pathways curriculum, the critical analysis instruction overlaps with the research objectives of CS100. With the guidance of faculty and teaching assistants, students will explore the Digital Divide or the potential for social inequalities resulting from differences in access to technology. We will explore this phenomenon through Web-based research articles, and examine evidence that supports or challenges its existence. Through a combination of lectures and lively class discussions, Pathways students will identify major issues, hypotheses, conclusions and study limitations with an eye toward developing their own research questions on this topic.

• Nancy Genero
• Created: May 15, 2002
• Modified: August 1, 2004
• Expires: January 1, 2006